Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling isn't giving up his hope of two-division glory after a setback in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
After debuting at 145 pounds with a convincing decision victory over Calvin Kattar this past April, Sterling was tasked with blemishing the perfect record of Movsar Evloev at UFC 310 to break into the divisional top five and stake his claim for a shot at Ilia Topuria's gold.
"Funk Master" was narrowly unable to achieve that feat, with his Russian counterpart grinding out a hard-fought decision victory across three rounds at T-Mobile Arena.
The result marks a second defeat in three fights for Sterling, who was thrust off the bantamweight throne by Sean O'Malley before committing to a long-awaited featherweight switch this year.
Nevertheless, the New York native doesn't appear deterred from his pursuit of a second belt on MMA's biggest stage.
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"Tough fight…I thought I might’ve edged it out against a tough opponent, but we came up short," Sterling wrote on X. "Thank you all for the love and support and I hope the performance was a fun one for you all to watch. Movsar is a beast, I showed where I belong in this division. For now, we decompress and heal up, then get ready to climb the ladder again. The dream doesn’t stop unless you give up! I’ll be back! #UFC310 #FunkHarbor #Perseverance"
Sterling will now look to rebound in the new year and begin a fresh surge toward the top at 145 pounds.
At 9-0, meanwhile, Evloev appears to have placed himself well for an opportunity at Topuria in 2025. While the Russian is still awaiting his first finish in the UFC, victories over Arnold Allen and Sterling this year have left his claim to a title shot hard to deny.